Chair tablet arm support

ABSTRACT

A support for a desk arm or tablet arm which has first and second tubular supports. The first support extends beneath the seat of the chair on which the desk arm is mounted and has a forwardly inclined upwardly extending portion. The second support is also tubular, extends beneath the seat of the chair and inclines rearwardly and upwardly before extending forwardly across the first tube and under the front of the desk arm. The desk arm is held in position on the horizontal portion of the second tube by clips of unique construction which facilitate aligning the clips with preformed screw receiving openings in the bottom face of the desk arm.

United States Patent 11 1 Jennings 1 Nov. 12, 1974 [73] Assignee: Royal Seating Corporation,

' Cameron, Tex.

221 Filed: July 17, 1-972 211 Appl. No.: 272,179

Roy E. ,]ennings, Temple, Tex.

[52] U.S. Cl 297/160, 297/162, 248/300 [51] Int. Cl A47b 39/00 [58] Field of Search 297/160-162.

297/418, 449; 248/1881, 300, 74 R; 108/157, 158; 287/189, 3 GN, DIG. 4

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 716,848 10/1954 Great Britain 297/162 689,954 7/1954 -Canada 297/160 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner 57 ABSTRACT A support for a desk arm or tablet arm which has first and second tubular supports. The first support extends beneath the seat of the chair on which the desk arm is mounted and has a forwardly inclined upwardly extending portion. The second support is also tubular, extends beneath the seat of the chair and inclines rearwardly and upwardly before extending forwardly across the first tube and under the front of the desk arm. The desk arm is held in position on the horizontal portion of the second tube by clips of unique construction which facilitate aligning the clips with pre formed screw receiving openings in the bottom face of the desk arm.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 CHAIR TABLET ARM SUPPORT This invention relates to a tablet arm or desk arm chair and specifically to a unique support for supporting and securing a tablet arm or desk arm to a chair.

While tablet arms and desk arms which provide writing surfaces for an occupant of a chair are well known in the prior art, these prior art arrangements have been exceedingly complicated and expensive to manufacture. In addition, most of the prior art support arrangements lack the necessary durability and rigidity for school room use. This is especially true where the arm supports a relatively large writing surface which is customarily called a desk am in the school furniture industry.

In accordance with this invention a rigid desk arm support is provided which, while it can be advantageously used with the chair construction of my now issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,832, of Dec. 21, l97l, can also be used with chairs of various constructions.

In accordance with this invention, a desk arm support of tubular material is provided which includes a lower portion adapted to be secured to the understructure of the chair, for example, the legs or seat support structure of the chair, which has upwardly extending diverging front and rear portions, in which a horizontal portion extends forwardly from a bend adjacent the top of the rear portion and meets the top of the front portion where the two arms are secured together, and the horizontal portion further continues forwardly and inwardly and then rearwardly and outwardly under the desk arm to a location inwardly of the sides of the chair to provide additional support for the desk arm. In the preferred embodiment, described herein, the desk arm is secured to the support structure with generally U- shaped flanged connectors which are separate pieces from the desk arm and the assembled support structure. By virtue of the configuration of the portion of the support which engages the underside of the desk ann, including a reverse bend such that the horizontal portion extends rearwardly of a forward location, the desk arm can be rigidly secured to the support tube by the simple flanged U-shaped connectors without directly securing any of the clamps to the support tube.

Advantageously, the desk arm support is formed from two tubes or pipes which are welded together at a location under the desk arm. Preferably, each tube has substantially straight portions projecting from each bend so the resulting structure includes a minimum number of bends and is correspondingly economical to manufacture.

An additional feature of the invention is the construction of the U-shaped clip or connector for holding the desk arm in position on the support structure. Screws or otherthreaded fasteners are inserted through openings in the flanges of the connectors and are threaded into the desk arm from its bottom surface. The opening in one flange of a connector is elongated in a first direction and the opening in the other flange of the connector is elongated in a second direction transverse to the first to simplify securing the connector to the desk arm even-where the arm is notprecisely positioned on the supporting structure. By virtue of the elongation of the openings in different directions, some shifting of each connector is permitted to facilitate aligning and driving the screws into the material of the desk arm.

Numerous other features of this invention will become apparent with reference to the drawings which form a part of the specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a chair and shows the structure of this invention, with the desk arm and seat in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a top plan of the chair of FIG. 1 with the seat and the desk arm shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view in section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of a clip for securing the desk arm to the arm support structure.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is showna chair 1 having a seat-back shell 2 supported by a base structure 3 including front legs 4 and rear legs 5 connected together by bracket assemblies 6 and 7. As is apparent from the drawings, seat-back shell 2 is narrower than the distance between the legs at the opposite sides of the chair yet is wider than the distance between the bracket assemblies 6 and 7.

Secured to the base structure 3 is the support structure 8 for desk arm 9.

Support structure 8 is formed from two pieces of pipe or other suitable round wall tubing. There is a first support tube 10 which has a straight horizontally extending lower end portion 11 connected to a straight forwardly slanting upright portion 12 at a right angle bend 13. I-Iorizontal portion 11 has a pair of connector plates 14 and 15 secured thereto in spaced apart relation such that the distance between the plates equals the distance between the outside surfaces of the bracket assemblies 6 and 7. The plates 14 and 15 are welded to the horizontal portion 11 where this horizontal portion extends through the plates, and the plates provide for securing the first support tube 10 to bracket assemblies 6 and 7 of the understructure of the chair with screws or bolts 16, so the horizontal portion 11 extends beneath the upper transversely extending tubular portions 17 and 18 of the respective front. and rear legs.

A second support tube 19 is a continuous length of pipe or tubing having several straight portions joined at bends to provide the desired configuration. Second support tube 19 includes a short straight lower horizontal portion 20 joined to a straight rearwardly slanting upright portion 21 at a right angle bend 22. Second support tube 19 also includes a straight generally horizontal upper portion 23 joined to upright portion 21 at a bend 24 of greater than Upright portion 21 and upper horizontal portion 23 of the second support tube are in a common plane with the upright portion 12 of first support tube 10. The upper end of upright portion 12 is machined or groundto provide a concave semicircular end 25 which abuts the straight horizontal portion 23. The upright portion 12 is secured to the upper straight portion 23 by welding or brazing the abutting surfaces at theperiphery of this joint, as at 26.

Second support tube .19 terminates at a generally V- shaped front portion 27 which extends inwardly across the bottom of desk arm 9 and includes an intermediate portion 28 and an end portion 29. Intermediate portion 28 is connected to endportion 29 at a right angle bend 30. Each of the portions 28 and 29 is straight. The front portion 27 joins upper straight portion 23 at an approximately 45 angle bend 31 between horizontal portion 23 and intermediate front portion 27. Upper horizontal portion 23, front intermediate portion 28, and front end portion 29 are in common generally horizontal plane which alopes slightly downwardly in a direction toward the rear of the chair. This provides a slight rearward slope to the top surface of desk arm 9 which is convenient for use by a student occupying the chair.

The second support tube is secured to the transverse tubular portion 18 of rear legs at a location below seat-back shell 2 by welding the short lower horizontal portion 20 to the tube 18 as at 34. With the lower horizontal portion 11 of first support tube secured to the understructure of the chair by the brackets 14, 15 and the fasteners 16 and with the lower horizontal portion 20 of second support tube 19 welded to the rear leg assembly at 34, the supporting structure 8 for the desk arm 9 is rigidly secured to the chair.

Desk arm 9 seats on the top horizontal surface of the portions 23, 28, and 29 of the second support tube. The desk arm 9 is secured to the support tube with connector clips 35. As shown at FIG. 2, at least three connector clips 35 are used to secure desk arm 9 to the horizontal portions of the second support tube. Each clip 35 has a generally U-shaped central portion 36 which terminates at flat outwardly bent flanges 37 and 38. The height of the U-shaped portion as measured from its inner surface 39 to the flanges 37 and 38 is approximately equal to the diameter of second support tube 19 to ensure that the clip 35 clampingly engages the horizontal portion of support tube 19 around which it extends.

Formed in flange 37 is an opening 40 which is elongated transversely of the U-shaped portion 36 and formed in flange 38 is an opening 41 which is elongated in a direction longitudinally of the U-shaped portion 36. These elongated openings 40 and 41 extending in different directions in the respective flanges 37 and 38 facilitate aligning the clips with predrilled holes in the underside of the desk arm 9 and assure that the desk arm can be secured to the upper horizontal portions of support 19 by relatively unskilled labor. By virtue of the openings 40 and 41 extending in different directions, slight errors in the angles of the bends 30, 31 and 24 still permit the person securing the desk arm to the support to use the existing predrilled holes in the bottom surface of the desk arm 9.

As shown at FIG. 2, there is at least one clip 35 along the upper horizontal portion 23, there is one clip 35 along the intermediate front portion 28 and there is one clip adjacent the end of the front end portion 29. Because the portions 23, 28 and 29 extend in different intersecting directions, desk arm 9 is securely held in position by the clips even where these clips do not tightly clamp around the material of the second support tube.

As is apparent with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2,the front portion 27 which includes the portions 28 and 29 forms a cantilever type support for the left side 42 of desk arm 9. This cantilevered portion is, however, quite rigid in that there is only a short length 43 of the upper horizontal portion 23 in front of the welded joint between the upright portion 12 and the horizontal portion 23. This short section acts in torsion to provide some give in the event that a heavy load is placed at side 42 of desk arm 9 but does not deflect any substantial extent.

As is apparent with reference to FIG. 1, the diverging upright portions 12 and 21 cooperate with the horizontal portion 23 to provide a rigid inverted generally triangular structure at one side of the chair to which the support structure 8 is secured. The diverging upright portions 12 and 211 form the sides of this inverted triangular structure.

For additional details of the construction of the understructure 3 of chair 1, reference can be made to my US. Pat. No. 3,628,832 which fully describes this structure.

While a preferred embodiment of the desk arm or tablet arm support has been described herein, it is to be understood that numerous changes can be made without departing from the scope of this invention as herein specified and as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a desk arm chair of the type having an understructure including legs for supporting a seat having a rear a front, and a back projecting upwardly from the rear of the seat, and having a desk arm of substantial size in a plane above the seat, a support structure for supporting the desk arm, said support structure comprising, in combination;

a first cylindrical support tube, said first support tube including a lower portion below the chair seat and secured to the understructure of the chair, and

an upwardly extending portion at one side of the seat, joined to'the lower portion at a bend and slanting away from the rear of the seat, said upwardly extending portion terminating at an upwardly facing u-shaped end;

a second cylindrical support tube including a lower portion below the seat and secured to the understructure of the chair,

a first intermediate portion extending upwardly at said one side of the seat, and slanting rearwardly in a direction away from said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube and away from the front of the seat, said first intermediate portion extending upwardly and rearwardly to a location closely adjacent the plane of the back of the seat,

a generally horizontal second intermediate portion,

above the level of the seat, joined to the first intermediate portion at a bend and extending over seated in, and abutting said upwardly facing ushaped end of said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube, and front portion extending transversely of the chair, joined to said horizontal portion at a bend closely adjacent to and beyond the location of of engagement of the horizontal intermediate portion with the upwardly extending portion of the first support tube, in a direction away from the rear of the seat, and in a common generally horizontal plane with said horizontal portion, said front portion including a forwardly and inwardly extending portion extending away from the rear of the seat and inwardly of a vertical plane including said one side of the seat, and joined to a rearwardly and outwardly extending portion extending generally toward the rear of the seat and away from said vertical plane including said one side of the seat and having a free end so that said front portion forms a v shaped support cantilevered from said horizontal portion of said second support tube;

weld means securing said upwardly facing end of said upwardly extending portion of said first tube to said horizontal portion of said second tube, whereby said slanting upright portions of said first and second tubes cooperate with said horizontal portion of said second tube to form a rigid inverted generally triangularly shaped upright structure at one side of the chair; and

means securing the desk arm to said second support tube along its horizontal and front portions at several locations.

2. A support structure for a desk arm chair according to claim 1 wherein said lower end portions of said support tubes extend inwardly beneath said seat;

one of said support tubes is welded to a leg of the understructure of the chair; and

the other of said support tubes is secured to the understructure of the chair at two spaced apart locations beneath the seat, and respectively adjacent opposite sides of the seat.

3. In a desk arm chair of the type having an understructure including legs for supporting a seat having a rear and a front, and having a desk arm of substantial size in a plane above the seat, a support structure for supporting the desk arm, said support structure comprising, in combination;

a first support tube, said first support tube including a lower portion below the chair seat and secured to the understructure, and

an upwardly extending portion at one side of the seat, joined to the lower portion at a bend and slanting away from the rear of the seat;

a second support tube including a lower portion below the seat and secured to the understructure of the chair,

a first intermediate portion extending upwardly at said one side of the seat, and slanting rearwardly in a direction away from said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube and away from the front of the seat,

a generally horizontal second intermediate portion,

above the level of the seat, joined to the first intermediate portion and extending over and engaging an upper portion of said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube, and

a front portion extending transversely of the chair,

joined to said horizontal portion at a bend beyond the location of engagement of the horizontal intermediate portion with the upwardly extending portion of the first support tube, in a direction away from the rear of the seat, and in a common generally horizontal plane with said horizontal portion, said front portion including a forwardly and inwardly extending portion extending away from the rear of the seat and inwardly of a vertical plane including said one side of the seat, and joined to a rearwardly and outwardly extending portion extending generally toward the rear of the seat and away from said vertical plane including said one side of the seat;

means securing said upper portion of said upwardly extending portion of said first tube to said horizontal portion of said second tube, whereby said slanting upright portions of said first and second tubes cooperate with said horizontal portion of said second tube to form an inverted generally triangularly shaped upright structure at one side of the chair;

and

means securing the desk arm to said second support tube along its horizontal and front portions at several locations, and comprising a plurality of generally U-shaped sheet material clips extending around said horizontal and front portions of said second support tube and secured to the bottom of the desk arm,

said U-shaped clips each have outwardly projecting flanges with openings therein, the opening in one flange being elongated in a first direction, and the opening in the other flange being elongated in a second direction transverse to said first direction, whereby precise positioning of said desk arm on said horizontal portion of said second tube for securing said clips to said desk arm with fasteners is not required. 

1. In a desk arm chair of the type having an understructure including legs for supporting a seat having a rear a front, and a back projecting upwardly from the rear of the seat, and having a desk arm of substantial size in a plane above the seat, a support structure for supporting the desk arm, said support structure comprising, in combination; a first cylindrical support tube, said first support tube including a lower portion below the chair seat and secured to the understructure of the chair, and an upwardly extending portion at one side of the seat, joined to the lower portion at a bend and slanting away from the rear of the seat, said upwardly extending portion terminating at an upwardly facing u-shaped end; a second cylindrical support tube including a lower portion below the seat and secured to the understructure of the chair, a first intermediate portion extending upwardly at said one side of the seat, and slanting rearwardly in a direction away from said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube and away from the front of the seat, said first intermediate portion extending upwardly and rearwardly to a location closely adjacent the plane of the back of the seat, a generally horizontal second intermediate portion, above the level of the seat, joined to the first intermediate portion at a bend and extending over seated in, and abutting said upwardly facing u-shaped end of said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube, and a front portion extending transversely of the chair, joined to said horizontal portion at a bend closely adjacent to and beyond the location of of engagement of the horizontal intermediate portion with the upwardly extending portion of the first support tube, in a direction away from the rear of the seat, and in a common generally horizontal plane with said horizontal portion, said front portion including a forwardly and inwardly extending portion extending away from the rear of the seat and inwardly of a vertical plane including said one side of the seat, and joined to a rearwardly and outwardly extending portion extending generally toward the rear of the seat and away from said vertical plane including said one side of the seat and having a free end so that said front portion forms a v shaped support cantilevered from said horizontal portion of said second support tube; weld means securing said upwardly facing end of said upwardly extending portion of said first tube to said horizontal portion of said second tube, whereby said slanting upright portions of said first and second tubes cooperate with said horizontal portion of said second tube to form a rigid inverted generally triangularly shaped upright structure at one side of the chair; and means securing the desk arm to said second support tube along its horizontal and front portions at several locations.
 2. A support structure for a desk arm chair according to claim 1 wherein said lower end portions of said support tubes extend inwardly beneath said seat; one of said support tubes is welded to a leg of the understructure of the chair; and the other of said support tubes is secured to the understructure of the chair at two spaced apart locations beneath the seat, and respectively adjacent opposite sides of the seat.
 3. In a desk arm chair of the type having an understructure including legs for supporting a seat having a rear and a front, and having a desk arm of substantial size in a plane above the seat, a support structure for supporting the desk arm, said support structure comprising, in combination; a first suPport tube, said first support tube including a lower portion below the chair seat and secured to the understructure, and an upwardly extending portion at one side of the seat, joined to the lower portion at a bend and slanting away from the rear of the seat; a second support tube including a lower portion below the seat and secured to the understructure of the chair, a first intermediate portion extending upwardly at said one side of the seat, and slanting rearwardly in a direction away from said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube and away from the front of the seat, a generally horizontal second intermediate portion, above the level of the seat, joined to the first intermediate portion and extending over and engaging an upper portion of said upwardly extending portion of said first support tube, and a front portion extending transversely of the chair, joined to said horizontal portion at a bend beyond the location of engagement of the horizontal intermediate portion with the upwardly extending portion of the first support tube, in a direction away from the rear of the seat, and in a common generally horizontal plane with said horizontal portion, said front portion including a forwardly and inwardly extending portion extending away from the rear of the seat and inwardly of a vertical plane including said one side of the seat, and joined to a rearwardly and outwardly extending portion extending generally toward the rear of the seat and away from said vertical plane including said one side of the seat; means securing said upper portion of said upwardly extending portion of said first tube to said horizontal portion of said second tube, whereby said slanting upright portions of said first and second tubes cooperate with said horizontal portion of said second tube to form an inverted generally triangularly shaped upright structure at one side of the chair; and means securing the desk arm to said second support tube along its horizontal and front portions at several locations, and comprising a plurality of generally U-shaped sheet material clips extending around said horizontal and front portions of said second support tube and secured to the bottom of the desk arm, said U-shaped clips each have outwardly projecting flanges with openings therein, the opening in one flange being elongated in a first direction, and the opening in the other flange being elongated in a second direction transverse to said first direction, whereby precise positioning of said desk arm on said horizontal portion of said second tube for securing said clips to said desk arm with fasteners is not required. 